A (hopefully) interesting fanfic discussion topic!

Hi all, just a little idea I've got half-formed that I'd like some input into with a view to writing a story - or even creating the groundwork for something others could contribute to if they wish.

The 'pitch' if you will is basically the Black Hills Gold Rush in space.

Deep in uncharted territory, six months beyond Federation space is a vast asteroid-field where a valuable material, dilithium or the equivalent is found in abundance. As word of this find spreads thousands of people on the lower-levels of society pack up and head out, hoping to make their fortunes by discovering a large deposit and claiming it.

Soon the asteroid field is filled with small ships prospecting, and settlements begin to emerge on the larger asteroids much like frontier towns like Deadwood - lawless places catering to the needs of all these people who are so far from their homes.

A spacegoing race also inhabits the region - a species analogous to the Sioux native Americans who object to this sudden influx of aliens into their territory but is largely powerless to stop or curtail it, other than small-scale sneak attacks or opportunistic raids.

At least to me this sounds like an interesting sandbox to tell stories, but I'd love everyone else to throw in their ideas if they have any!

It does sound like an interesting concept, though who would be the main focus? A prospecting ship? One of the settlements/outpost? A small Starfleet ship sent in to act as sheriff? Or a combination of many different groups to tell a larger story?

I'd imagine the best way to 'tackle' it would be to have a few different protagonists - I think the setting lends itself to that sort of approach.

Taking Star Trek's original 'wagon train to the stars' mantra and running with it a little - I'm visioning lots of small ships like runabouts making the voyage out as groups for the sake of protection (presumably having a few adventures along the way) and upon reaching their destination being amazed by how 'rough and ready' life there is. The field would be awash with like-minded people, tough preying on the weak, precious equipment and supplies being bartered and stolen since resources are so finite and so on.

Each of these ships would have a tale to tell.

One story might follow two young men arriving in what is essentially an oversized shuttlecraft (possibly someone with a larger ship is bringing these low-warp shuttles out from the Federation for a fee) with virtually nothing to their name other than their little ship.

Another story might follow a larger, more well-funded mining ship and its crew.

Another could deal with the man who is in de facto 'charge of one of the asteroid settlements, keeping order and dealing with the people coming and going - perhaps one of these hundreds of people is murdered while at the settlement and he has to track down the perpetrator out amongst the asteroids - perhaps he rounds up a posse!

Hi all, just a little idea I've got half-formed that I'd like some input into with a view to writing a story - or even creating the groundwork for something others could contribute to if they wish.

The 'pitch' if you will is basically the Black Hills Gold Rush in space.

Deep in uncharted territory, six months beyond Federation space is a vast asteroid-field where a valuable material, dilithium or the equivalent is found in abundance. As word of this find spreads thousands of people on the lower-levels of society pack up and head out, hoping to make their fortunes by discovering a large deposit and claiming it.

Soon the asteroid field is filled with small ships prospecting, and settlements begin to emerge on the larger asteroids much like frontier towns like Deadwood - lawless places catering to the needs of all these people who are so far from their homes.

A spacegoing race also inhabits the region - a species analogous to the Sioux native Americans who object to this sudden influx of aliens into their territory but is largely powerless to stop or curtail it, other than small-scale sneak attacks or opportunistic raids.

At least to me this sounds like an interesting sandbox to tell stories, but I'd love everyone else to throw in their ideas if they have any!

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This is a great idea.

Just a note on the aliens: The problem the Sioux had was twofold: the greater technological base western settlers could draw from and the military and economic power of an expansionist United States Government. Your native race wouldn't have these problems. If they're spacefaring, they already share at least technological parity with the settlers. Plus, the territory's location outside Federation space, the fact the settlers are effectively illegal emigrants and the Prime Directive all mean the Federation couldn't do much if the aliens attacked en masse and the settlers found themselves completely screwed.

I wouldn't place it in the Picard-era 24th century, somehow I can't see hundreds of thousands of people having any sort of motivation to leave the safety of Federation space to seek their fortune in the unknown. Realistically (I use the term loosely) it should be set in the early days of the Federation when money as we understand it is still an issue, or perhaps just abandon all mention of a time-period and leave it deliberately ambiguous.

I don't think you would need to leave it ambiguous. The Federation has gone past the need for a monitary economy (though they do use 'credits' and there was the Bank of Bolarus), but private businesses and enterprises would still work with some form of payment (The Tigan mines were still very concerned with balancing the books and had money to pay Mrs Bilby).

Anyone who would head out on a venture such as this would be leaving the UFP and their system behind, they would therefore need to adapt to the economy of the area and work with latinum or whatever currancy was used. They would need to cover the expense of fuel, crew, supplies, repairs, docking fees, bar bills and whatever other costs arose. All of which I would think would fit in better with a 23rd century setting, when the universe was still a little more uncharted and Starfleet didn't seem as expansive as it was by TNG era.

The intervening years between the ENT portions of 'These are the Voyages' and the start of TOS seem to be the most suitable - little has been established about that era so there will be little to contradict anything seen on screen.

A fascinating idea with many possibilities. No one mentions telling the tale from the viewpoint of the "Sioux" aliens, though. That would be interesting, I think.
And Starfleet might not be involved-except in the form of Border Dogs.

I'd say you need to more-or-less get Starfleet out of the equation, or at least hamstring them so they weren't massively involved. Perhaps Starfleet is unable to officially sanction this 'gold rush' due to it taking place in "Sioux space" but is unable to legally stop Federation citizens from going out there.

An interesting premise, with great possibilities for drama. I'd think this would best suit an early-ish period, certainly no later than TOS. Perhaps at a time when the UFP is facing troubles along the Klingon borders, so Star Fleet can spare very limited resources to help out. I do think they should have some presence, as that allows stories featuring the Fleet, but not enough to ensure safety for civilians.

If it was TOS era-ish (2250s-60s), I would think that an Archer-Class ship (the 50m long scout from Vanguard) would be assigned to the region. It's outwith Federation space and Starfleet jurisdiction, but seeing as how there out be UFP citizens heading out there, I would think that the Fleet would want to make sure they were alright--whilst also scouting out the immediate area as well, as a site for possible future exploration.

A small ship like an Archer would make sense to me. But then again, I love small ships.

The Prime Directive exists in the TOS and TNG eras, and as long as it does, interfering with the Sioux aliens is a violation of it because they exist outside of Federation space. No special treaty is required to keep Starfleet from helping. All Starfleet and the Federation have to do is obey their own law.

In fact, in this situation their likely course of action would be to forcibly remove the settlers to Federation space, ending the prospecting and the story. They won't battle the aliens to protect the settlements.

This scenario can play out in any era the Prime Directive is in force. It doesn't have to be TOS.

I didn't really have the Prime Directive in mind when I mentioned non-interference, but rather whatever regulations Starfleet likely have in place that govern situations when they encounter a spacefaring race are not willing to enter into any sort of relationship.

It strikes me that if a Starfleet ship encounters such a race who politely tells them they're not interested in 'being friends' and to leave their space and not come calling again, then Starfleet would in all likelihood respect this and avoid that region in future.

So if these Sioux aliens fall into this category then Starfleet would likely respect their wishes and not infringe on their territory again, whereas your man on the street Federation citizen is not bound by the Starfleet MO and can do as they please.

I didn't really have the Prime Directive in mind when I mentioned non-interference, but rather whatever regulations Starfleet likely have in place that govern situations when they encounter a spacefaring race are not willing to enter into any sort of relationship.

It strikes me that if a Starfleet ship encounters such a race who politely tells them they're not interested in 'being friends' and to leave their space and not come calling again, then Starfleet would in all likelihood respect this and avoid that region in future.

So if these Sioux aliens fall into this category then Starfleet would likely respect their wishes and not infringe on their territory again, whereas your man on the street Federation citizen is not bound by the Starfleet MO and can do as they please.

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Exactly, but the story in question involves those same men on the street running afoul of those self-same aliens and what would happen, and all I meant was the OP's analogy was incorrect, because of the Prime Directive, as other posters' suggestion that it take place in the TOS era is unnecessary, again, because of the Prime Directive.

The special regulations you're thinking about are really offshoots of the Prime Directive, if they exist at all, because having contact with a race that wants no contact can be considered "interference with their natural development."

I don't think this race not wanting contact is connected with 'not interfering with their natural development'.

For example I close the door on cold-callers not because I don't want them interfering with my natural development, I do it because I'm simply not interested in communicating with them.

I'm describing a situation that is akin to that - Starfleet wanders into 'Sioux' space following their usual MO of making friends but find their advances rebuffed - not due to the aliens' concerns about interference in their culture but merely complete disinterest.